As is known in the art, conventional current sensors may use a magnetic field transducer (for example, a Hall effect element) in proximity to an electrical conductor. The magnetic field transducer produces an output signal having a magnitude proportional to the magnetic field induced by an electric current in the electrical conductor.
Conventional current sensors may include a toroidal ferromagnetic body to concentrate magnetic flux produced by current in a proximate conductor. The conductor may be threaded through the toroid, which provides an increased magnetic field proximate to a magnetic field transducer, and therefore, a more sensitive device. The magnetic field transducer produces an output signal proportional to the current in the conductor.
One type of current sensor described in pending U.S. Pat. No. 7,358,724 of William P. Taylor et al., integrates a magnetic flux concentrator and a magnetic field transducer into a packaged integrated circuit. Another type of current sensor described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,265,531 to Stauth et al. includes a conductor with a notch for receiving a magnetic field transducer. Still another current sensor described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,383 to Savary et al. includes a magnetic circuit having a winding wound around the magnetic circuit. The magnetic circuit has an opening for a magnetic field detector which senses current through the winding.
Some current sensors sever the conductor to form an electrical connection for sensing current. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,177,884 to Hunt et al. describes an apparatus for severing a conductor. Other conventional current sensors, such as the current sensor described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,383 to Savary et al., require complicated threading or winding operations to couple the conductor to the current sensor.